It is with heavy hearts we share the sad news that two members of the MITRFC community, Jake Kennedy and Emile Bruneau (pictured above, second from right), recently passed away. Both men were known for their vast contributions on and off the pitch.
Jake Kennedy passed away in October at the age of 65 after battling ALS. Jake played rugby for 22 years and treated several MIT ruggers at his physical therapy practice in downtown Boston. Jake also founded the Christmas in the City charity that provided a great number of gifts to the poor children in Boston. Jake's son Zack played wing for MIT in 2012 and helped the team win the NERFU Cup. Zack is currently working on research for an ALS cure.
Emile Bruneau passed away in October from brain cancer at the age of 47. Emile played with MIT intermittently from 2010 to 2012 and left an impact on those he played with. Teammates remember him as a fit and tough player who led by example on the field and helped mentor new players off the field. Emile brought years of experience to the team, having played for the Stanford men's team and having coached the Stanford women's team. Emile was well known for his research in neuroscience regarding conflict resolution.
MITRFC sends their condolences to the Kennedy and Bruneau families.
You can read more about Jake Kennedy's life here: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/10/14/metro/with-unimaginable-grace-jak...
You can read Jake Kennedy's obituary here:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/10/13/metro/jake-kennedy-christmas-city...
You can read more about Emile Bruneau's life here:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/02/opinion/emile-bruneau-dead.html
You can watch a video about Emile Bruneau's life mission here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJvfqft5v9U&feature=emb_logo
You can read Emile Bruneau's obituary here: https://asc.upenn.edu/news-events/news/memoriam-emile-bruneau-peace-and-...